BJP demands mayor`s post in Mumbai

Mumbai: Buoyed by its success in the recent Mumbai civic polls, BJP on Monday demanded that it should get at least one term of the mayor`s post in the Brihanmumai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
In the recently-concluded civic polls, the Shiv Sena-BJP-RPI combine emerged as the biggest group to rule the Mumbai civic body. Shiv Sena, BJP and RPI had bagged 75, 32 and one seats respectively.

This is Shiv Sena-BJP combine`s fourth consecutive term and so far mayor`s post had gone to Sena alone."We want equal share in power. We got 62,000 more votes compared to the last time and our share of votes increased by 18 per cent.

Hence, we must get one term of mayor and standing committee chairmanship (in BMC)," Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Vinod Tawde said at a party`s `victory` meet to celebrate its performance, as it won 31 out of the 63 seats it contested.

State BJP chief Sudhir Mungantiwar endorsed Tawde`s view saying that it was a demand of the party workers and the state leadership would persue the matter during negotiations
with Shiv Sena.

Tawde said, because of RPI, BJP has benefitted in 15 to 16 wards. "RPI should also be given important share in power," he said.

He added that political pundits had written off BJP and predicted that Shiv Sena may lose the civic polls due to BJP`s poor show. But we have proved every one wrong," he said.

Party general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Venkaiah Naidu felicitated the winning corporators and also the party`s losing candidates, as well as the office-bearers.

Criticising chief minister Prithviraj Chavan`s comments that Sena-BJP would be taught a lesson in the elections, both the leaders said people of Mumbai had shown Congress the door because of its "arrogance of power".